Stats

Lifespan: Perennial
Size: Medium
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Freshwater wetland
Range: Europe and Middle East
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Runners
Defense: Toxins
Status: Uncommon

About

A hybrid of watermint and spearmint, peppermint produces menthol that tricks cold-sensing nerve receptors into feeling an icy chill without any drop in temperature. One of the most widely grown kitchen herbs in the world, it spreads vigorously from runners and fills a pot or patch with an unmistakably sharp, cooling scent.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Mentha